Monday, February 22, 2016

North Carolina: Charlotte City Council Passes Important LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections

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The Charlotte City Council has approvede an LGBT nondiscrimination bill on Monday night in a 7 to 4 vote.

The Charlotte ordinance, which is slated to take effect in April, bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in housing and places of public accommodation. (State law does not allow cities to ban workplace discrimination.)

“The City Council’s vote today sends a clear message that discrimination has no place in Charlotte,” said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse. “Everyone, regardless of who they are, should have the legal right to feel safe in their community, and we commend the City Council for standing with us on the side of fairness and equality in the Queen City.”

Gov. Pat McCrory has previously stated that state lawmakers could “immediately” take action to block the law in a Sunday email to city officials.

This development makes Charlotte the latest center for the LGBT movement where nondiscrimination laws have struggled since winning marriage equality won at the Supreme Court last June.